Method of and apparatus for dispensing aerosol materials



Dec. 10, 1963 R. H. ABPLANALP 3,113,698

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AEROSOL MATERIALS Filed Jan. 25, 1962 QTTOPNEY United States Patent 3,113,698 METHQD OF AND APPARATUS FUR DISPENSING AERQSQL MATERIALS Robert Henry Ahplanalp, Hewitt Ave, Bronxville, NRY. Filed Jan. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 168,738 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-1) This invention is a method of and apparatus for dispensing a mixture of liquids irom a pressurized three phase system. A pressurized three phase system, according to this invention, is one embodying a container in which is packaged two superimposed liquid strata of diflerent specific gravities above which is a. stratum of gas or gaseous vapor under suflicient pressure to force at least a part of the contents of the container through a discharge outlet when a manually operable valve associated with the container is opened.

One example of a three phase system is that frequently found in aerosol dispensers wherein the liquid strata comprises an active ingredient and a liquefied gas over which is superimposed a propellant gas under pressure. The present invention may employ such a system although it is not limited thereto as neither liquid strata of the package of this invention need be a liquefied gas.

In accordance with this invention the liquids of the two strata must have difl erenet specific igravities to maintain Stratified relation with respect to one another and they are immiscible liquids which, under ordinary conditions of use, will maintain their stratified condition.

The object of this invention is to draw oif directly from the respective liquid strata a predetermined ratio of liquid from both strata, thereafter to comming-le the same in an appropriate mixing chamber prior to their discharge from the package, whereby the resulting effluent comprises an intermixed fine dispersion of the constituents of both liquid strata.

The ability to accomplish this end permits a wide variety of formulations in the efliuent discharge-formulations which otherwise would be extremely difficulty, if not impossible, of accomplishment, For example, one of the strata of the package may be a water-soluble insecti cide composition, while the other may be a liquefied propellant or one of the strata may be an aqueous solution of starch, while the other may be a solution of liquefied propellant and a perfume which is soluble therein, or the liquid of one of the strata may be an aqueous solution of starch while the liquid of the other stratum may be a liquefied propellant in which a fungicide soluble therein is included.

As a matter of fact the present invention may be employed to dispense a mixture of any two liquid strata wherein the liquids are immiscible and maintain Stratified condition during use and a formulation embodying both of Which it is desired to include in the efliuent. Thus, both of the two liquid strata may be other than liquefied propellants, in which case the propellant force may be supplied by a stratum of an inert gas, such, for example, as nitrogen, this latter arrangement being useful where it is desired to have the effluent contain a formulation of two active ingredients. In such case either one or both of the strata may contain either one or more active ingredients. When so constituted several active ingredients may be discharged as an eflluent by 2 withdrawing directly from the respective stratum in the package, the liquids which are to be embodied in the efiluent, while the stratified condition remains unchanged. One way of carrying out the present invention is to enclose within the container a float of such specific gravity that it will float in the plane of demarcation between the two liquid strata in such manner that a portion of the float will project into each strata, the float being provided with passages leading to the respective strata. To this float is secured one end of an eduction tube with that end communicating with all of said passages, so that when the discharge valve is unsealed, the pressure of the propellant gas will cause liquids to be forced from each of the strata to and into the eduction tube, the other end of which is connected to the discharge valve of the container, so that after passing through said valve the commingled liquids from both strata may pass to an outlet from which they are exhausted to the atmosphere. A mixing chamber is preferably provided bet-ween the passages of the float and the outlet to ensure a thorough admixing of such liquids before their discharge through the outlet.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and appended claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates different forms of float including apparatus for carrying out the method of this invention, but the showings therein made are to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defim'ng the limits of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a central vertical section through a dispenser for carrying out the method of this invention in which figure the float is shown in the form of a buoyant sphere.

FIG. 2 is a fragmental view showing another form of float which may be used.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a container which will hereinafter be referred to as a can. This can has a top filling opening hermetically sealed by a cup 2 provided with a crown 3' in which is enclosed any appropriate form of manually operable dispensing valve. The valve is provided with a valve stem 4 to which is aflixed a manually operable valve operating button 5. All of these parts are conventional and may partake of any appropriate conventional form. For example, the can, its closure cup, valve, Valve stem, and valve operating button may be shown in my prior Patent No. 2,631,814, March 17, 1953, while the button, for the purpose of illustration, is as shown in my Patent No. 2,884,207 of April 28, 1959. These patents are referred to for the purpose of further disclosure and are herein incorporated by reference for this reason. I wish it understood, however, that any appropriate can, valve, and push button may be employed without departing from this invention which is not limited to the details of the can or its associated conventional parts.

The can 1 contains three distinct strata of materials 6, 7 and 8, the materials 6 and '7 of which are liquids, while the stratum 8 is a gaseous stratum. Such stratum -8 will always be gaseous in nature. It may be any of the well known propellant gases commonly used in areosols or it may be an inert gas depending upon the particular constituents of the package .which is desired to dispense. These constituents knownpropell-ant gases such, for example, and without limitation, as monofluorotrichloro methane, difluorodichloro methane, tetrafluorodichloro ethane, normal butane, isobutane, or propane, commonly used in aerosols or it may be an inert gas, such as pressurized nitrogen, depending upon the particular constituents of the package which it is desired to dispense. These constituents may widely vary as hereinbefore stated but, for the purpose of concrete description, I will primarily deal with the same as appropriate for the dispensing of insecticides.

When used for this purpose, the liquid of the stratum 6 is preferably water, the liquid of the stratum 7 is preferably liquefied gas, corresponding to the gas of the stratum 8, and may, for example, be a hydrocarbon liquid in which is dissolved an insecticide composition.

With such relationship the several components of the three phase system will assume and maintain distinct stratification with little or no admixture between them.

Positioned within the container is a float 9. In FIG. 1 this float is shown as spherical. In practice it may be of any suitable construction and may conveniently be in the form of a molded plastic so constituted that it will float, partially submerged in the lower stratum 6 and the con tiguous portion of the intermediate stratum 7. It is provided with an interior chamber in which is connected by an eduction tube 11 with the inlet nipple 12 of the discharge valve of the can. This eduction tube is looped as shown so that it may occupy this floating relative position between the two strata 6 and 7 at all times, i.e., from the time that the can is full until it is practically exhausted, as indicated in dotted line position shown in FIG. 1.

The float is provided with one or more passages 13 which extend upwardly from the chamber it) to the periphery of the float so that one or more of said inlet passages always occupy a position wherein they dip into the stratum 7. Additional passages is lead from the chamber downwardly to the periphery of the float, so that the inlet ends of said passages 14 at all times dip into the liquid stratum 6.

Inasmuch as the entire interior of the can is pressurized by the gas in the stratum 8, the pressure therein tends at all times to force liquid directly from the strata 7 and 6 through the passages 13 and 14, respectively, into the chamber '16 where they are commingled or mixed with one another. Consequently when the discharge valve of the container is opened by actuation of the valve operating button 5, the resulting admixture will flow and continue to flow, as long as the valve is open, through the eduction tube, through the valve and valve stem 4 to the chamber 15 of the push button, to be discharged therefrom through the outlet orifice 16 in the form of a fine spray, wherein the constituents of both of the strata 6 and 7 are thoroughly comrningled.

It will of course be understood that the float will descend as the liquids within the package are expended and, while the float 9' may rotate slightly as it descends, it will always maintain the position stated with one or more of the passages 13 and one or more of the passages 14, continuing to dip into the respective strata so as to deliver the two liquids of different specific gravities directly to the eduction tube until the liquid content of the package is exhausted.

The float may be of any desired shape, such, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein it is illustrated as cylindrical in form. In this figure, the float 9a has a central mixing chamber Illa which is in communication with the lower end of the eduction tube. This float fits loosely within the confines of the can 1 and has such specific gravity as to function in the same manner as the spherical float 9. It is provided with passages 13a and 14:: serving the same purpose as the passages 13 and 14, to simultaneously feed from both of the liquid strata 7 and 6, as hereinbefore described.

Both floats may be molded from plastic of the desired specific gravity or they may be made or fabricated with 4 sea ed buoyancy chambers, without departing from this invention, so long as they possess the characteristics to function as explained above.

It will of course be understood that the flow capacity of the passages 13 and 14 will be engineered according to the respective viscosities of the liquids of the strata 6 and 7, which viscosities will also vary according to the liquids to be dispensed. Furthermore the sizes of the additional passages through which the mixture flows from the float to the valve operating button, as well as the size of the outlet orifice of that button, will be also engi-neeringly determined in a manner well known in the art to produce the desired spray pattern.

The present invention has many advantages in connwtion with the formulations of the efliuent. It permits widely different immiscible compositions to be properly blended and admixed in a spray pattern and the achievement of results which have heretofore been impossible of accomplishment under prior practice.

The particular specific example given in the foregoing description relates to the use of the invention in connection with insecticides. When the active ingredient is a hair spray the introduction of water into the float serves to dilute any flammable constituents that may be in the eifluent for such water serves to materially lower the temperature of the flammable constituents to below their kindling temperatures. The water vapor in finely divided form in the effluent also serves to blanket such flammable constituents so as to render them perfectly safe.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The herein described method which comprises:

(a) simultaneously separately drawing ofi, from a pressurized three phase system, portions of liquid directly from the region of Stratification of each of two separate superimposed liquid strata, contained in the same compartment, while stratification of the liquids in the system persists,

(b) thereafter com-mingling the liquid portions drawn from the respective strata, and

(c) discharging said corningled liquid portions to the atmosphere in the form of an eflluent spray.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein one of said liquid strata comprises water.

'3. Method according to claim 1, wherein one of said liquid strata comprises a liquefied propellant.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the liquefied propellant comprises a hydrocarbon.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein one of said liquid strata comprises water and the other comprises a hydrocarbon propellant composition.

6. In a dispensing package comprising a container having therein three strata two of which are liquids and the third of which is gas under pressure and which container has an outlet valve with an eduction tube leading to said valve and a discharge outlet leading from said valve, the improvement which comprises: a float connected to the eduction tube and having a specific gravity to cause it to float in the plane of demarcation between the two liquid strata with a portion of the float projecting into each strata, said float being provided with at least one passage leading from each liquid stratum to the passage of the eduction tube, whereby the opening of the discharge valve will simultaneously discharge through the outlet an admixture of the liquids of both strata.

7. A package according to claim 6, wherein the eduction tube is looped to permit the float to descend to the bottom of the container while remaining connected to the eduction tube.

8. In a dispensing package comprising a container hav-t mg therein three strata two of which are liquids and the I third of which is gaseous and which container has an outlet valve with an eduotion tube leading to said valve and a discharge outlet leading from said valve, the improvement which comprises: a float connected to the eduction tube and having a specific gravity to cause it to float in the 5 plane of demarcation between the two liquid strata with a. portion of the float projecting into each strata, said float being provided with passages leading from the respective liquid strata to the passage of the eduction tube, said float having therein a mixing ohamber interposed between the 10 several passages of the float and the passage of the eduction tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lindsay Dec. 2, Frieseke May 12, Fortier May 12, Meissner Apr. 5, Brooks Apr. 29, Homm June 21, Clapp Aug. 8,

FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland June 16, 

1. THE HEREIN DESCRIBED METHOD WHICH COMPRISES: (A) SIMULTANEOUSLY SEPARATELY DRAWING OFF, FROM A PRESSURIZED THREE PHASE SYSTEM, PORTIONS OF LIQUID DIRECTLY FROM THE REGION OF STRATIFICATION OF EACH OF TWO SEPARATE SUPERIMPOSED LIQUID STRATA, CONTAINED IN THE SAME COMPARTMENT, WHILE STRATIFICATION OF THE LIQUIDS IN THE SYSTEM PERSISTS, 